Elders warn of potential disappearance of Palestinian territories

Elders warn of potential disappearance of Palestinian territories

Four members of the Elders group of international figures founded by Nelson Mandela have warned of the potential disappearance of the Palestinian territories and called for an end to Israeli "impunity".

They said in a statement that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government was seeking "to make Palestine disappear physically, economically, culturally and politically."

Former President of Ireland Mary Robinson, former First Lady of South Africa Graca Machel, former Prime Minister of New Zealand Helen Clark and Pakistani lawyer Hina Jilani made the statement after a visit, from July 11-16, to the occupied West Bank, Israel, Jordan and Lebanon.

Speaking to journalists in Jerusalem on Thursday, they said the international community must do more to end Israeli "impunity" in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, which Palestinians seek as the future capital of a sovereign state.

"I think if we were to summarise the key message that we've heard across civil society, both in the West Bank and here, as to what are they looking for, it's accountability and no impunity," said Clark.

Robinson said she was "ashamed" that the European Union had not taken a firmer stance on the issue, calling for Brussels to suspend the trade component of its association agreement with Israel and to ban the trade of products from Israeli settlements.

They said they had observed a deterioration of the situation in the West Bank since a previous mission in 2023, and warned that continued settlement expansion would result in "Palestine disappearing before our eyes."

Since taking office, Netanyahu's government has approved the establishment of 102 settlements in the West Bank, according to Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now. (Reporting by AFP) 

Elders meet with Danny Seidemann, founder of Terrestrial Jerusalem, to discuss the E1 settlement plan and Jerusalem’s holy sites. (Photo Maya Levin, Elders) ...